Septic tank pumpout mistake FAQs #2:

This article series describes common mistakes and misunderstandings about cleaning or pumping the septic tank.

We explain why pumping too infrequently (or never) is a very bad idea.

But we also note that pumping more often than necessary is more or less tossing money down the toilet.

Septic Pumping Mistake Questions & Answers

These questions & answers about errors or snafus that occur when pumping out a septic tank were posted originally

at SEPTIC TANK PUMPING MISTAKES - be sure to review that article.

On 2018-12-09 by (mod) - how much of the septic tank cover must be dug-out to clean the tank?

To clean a septic tank it is normally necessary only to uncover enough of the tank to expose and safely remove the tank access cover not the entire tank cover.

If that requires a lot of digging you may need a hole to be larger to provide safe access without falling into the Tank.

In that case I would add a septic tank riser to make future service easier.

On 2018-12-08 1 by Anonymous - Do I have to uncover the whole top of the tank ?

Do I have to uncover the whole top of the tank or just a section

On 2018-11-07 by (mod) - Do I have to re-fill the septic tank with water after pumping?

No.

Regarding refilling a septic tank with tap water after pumping, no that's absolutely inappropriate and would not help you in any way. The septic tank is designed to receive sewage.

On 2018-11-07 by (mod) - disagrees on average daily water usage

CG

Thank you for your opinion.

It's useful to hear from you. Of course you probably understand that design and health and code standards are not written for the most thoughtful people but rather for the range of usual human behavior.

For example many people leave the tap running while brushing their teeth - less conservative than your approach, and many people bathe every day, often for longer than 5 minutes.

See WATER QUANTITY USAGE GUIDE for details.

On 2018-11-07 by C Graham Northampton County Va

200 gallons per person? Absurdity.

I flush once in morning, (2.8 gal), perhaps three flushes at night,

brush teeth, 10 oz. cup water,

laundry every 10 days, (high tech energy efficient washer, use paper plates,

perhaps 10 gal. a week max. through sink.

Shower every other day 5 minutes w/ two gal. min shower head. ect. ect. 200 gallons a week perhaps but I doubt even that.

We are not all Hollywood Stars.

On 2018-11-07 19:47:16.036674 by C. Graham Northampton County VA.

After having my septic tank pumped out would it be a good idea to fill it with fresh tap water instead of having the sewage from the toilet fill it? No laundry and limited dishwater used here. Thanks

On 2018-08-25 15:33:22.058948 by Terry

Should we refill our 1500 gal. septic tank with water after having it pumped if we are going to be out of town before it can refill normally?

There are only two of us in the house. Will it harm the float alarm switches if they stay dry too long?

On 2018-08-25 15:30:06.778243 by Terry

Should we refill our 1500 gal. septic tank with water after having it pumped if we are going to be out of town before it can refill normally? There are only two of us in the house. Will it harm the float alarm switches if they stay dry too long?

On 2018-08-07 01:11:15.125727 by (mod) -

If you are connected to a private septic tank and absorption field or soakaway bed I suspect that the field is at the end of its life. River it makes sense to have some diagnosis done before assuming anything. You could be lucky and it could just be a leak Into the septic tank in wet weather. That's repairable.

On 2018-08-06 23:35:44.569234 by Gina

My sewer has never been cleaned out,toilet back up in tub after hard rains

On 2018-06-08 20:51:10.950886 by (mod) -

All of that sounds encouraging.

On 2018-06-08 14:19:27.419355 by Anonymous

Thanks for the info. Last weekend I cut the area as short as possible, then manually thatched it since it had about 20 years of random weed build up that just lied flat and still some odd horse patties from the previous owners. These were in the all the big brown patches that were matted down.

I lost count how many loads of thatch I removed and after I did that a lot of the old stalks were standing so I could cut them off short with the mower. Lots of thistle stalks and the like.

While I dont want a green lawn out there, I assume getting rid of all this and know keeping it mowed short will allow the area to breathe and aerate better.

Many of the old brown patches now have signs of green in them. I was worried that under neath all this matted thatch that I would discover wetness or the like.

But everything is still dry as dry can be. Even when using the riding mower there are no signs of wetness at all on the tires.

On 2018-05-31 by (mod) - brown vs green grass over the septic fields & what that means

Ken:

Alternating bed septic designs that I'm familiar with don't switch as frequently as annually because it takes several years or longer for the biomat to recover during rest.

But if I understand correctly the active field is green and the inactive field is brown.

That would support the claim that the grass is benefittng from moisture in the drainfield.

As I suggested earlier, as long as the green fields aren't wet or smelling the system is probably working ok.

A test excavation near the end of the most-distant active drainline would let you look at the thickness of the biomat, the condition of the piping, and evidence of clogging.

On 2018-05-29 by Ken

Basically my test that the current leach field is working is, when I switch to the unused field for that year, the are that was green, will eventually turn brown (rain dependent) and the side that was brown will turn green (if no rain) Since Im turning off the "feed" to make the grass grow.

So anything active is never brown, saying that, Im not sure how many feed lines are out in the field right now

I wish I had a diagram or the plans to my layout, but being the 3rd owner, I cant find them in any county records, permit offices, etc.

Who knows, maybe the original owners just did it with no permission. All I know mine in the entire area is the only one thats in an actual field, everyone elses is in their yard.

And mine's the only one with this diverter valve. Unfortunately I dont have any access to my diverter box, unless the access hatch was buried years ago.

Only access I have is of course my septic tank lid (a round concrete lid) , the diverter valve and a vent (I assume) in the field (which I have capped to keep critters and blown grass out, but drilled full of small holes to allow venting)

I know when I pull the diverter valve plug out (which has three holes in the bottom side so you can change the flow) I can see the water come from the house side (west), and then more or less go all three directions (east, north and south), until I put it back in and turn to redirect to the unused field for the year.

The bonus is if I do dig, its just an old pasture field, so wont create an eyesore or yard problem.

My goal is to have the story of a septic system that lasted way beyond its years due to regular maintenance and smart usage.

I think we have been good that way for the last 11 years, getting rid of a garburator, using a drain catch even in the kitchen sink after washing dishes, and each shower has a hair catch so the majority doesnt go down the drain.

Phosphate free dishwasher pods and the wife found some laundry ball so we dont even use laundry soap.

I hope the previous owners were smart to, will never know. I know they had horses so that area was used as pasture for them, which on leach fields is a no-no.

But not much I can do about that. But my occasional walk on it, and the mower, and odd quad going over it, the lack of traffic on it I hope stopped any compacting of the area.

I was going to plant trees this spring, but then read how long the roots can get on Cottonwoods and how they seek out water. It was well over 100 feet away from the field, and I still decided not to, just in case of future issues.

On 2018-05-29 by (mod) - The grass is not *always* greener over the septic soakbed.

Ken,

Thank you for an excellent question with really helpful detail.

My opinion is that without more detail, neither of the septic system experts whom you quoted has it quite right.

In a green septic drainfield area if there is no back up in the building, and no break out on the yard surface - no wet areas, then it's disposing of sewage effluent and it's working correctly.

In a brown grass septic field area, if we were talking about a case in which the entire subject area is brown, then too, if your septic system is not backing up, and there's no effluent break out anywhere on the yard surface, then that area is probably disposing of sewage effluent and is working correctly.

The grass is not *always* greener over the septic soakbed.

The case that you are describing however is a little different. I understand you correctly you have an active septic field area that is green in some areas and brown and others, with the two different areas corresponding two different leach lines.

And both areas are believed to be in active use, and constructed identically, at the same time, in the same kind of soil, at the same depth, etc.

In that case the difference in grass, assuming there is no external cause of dead grass, is a clue that bears some investigation.

Once we rule out the situation in which the brown area is deliberately Switched Off in an alternating bed septic design, then we have to ask if a fluid is being distributed uniformly into the (otherwise identical in all respects) leaching areas.

In this case your brown septic expert is correct to want to know what's going on with the brown area.

1. Check the D-Box:

A first useful investigative step is to find and open the distribution box. Take a look to confirm that sewage effluent is actually being routed into both filled areas at the same volume.

You may know this some distribution boxes include an adjustable baffle over the d-box outlet pipes that permits you to balance the effluent flow among the different lines. Not all D-boxes will have this feature. Look for a tipped D-box, or a closure at the brown-area leach line pipe(s).

2. Find the leach lines: This is a bit more trouble but maybe worth doing for your particular case. Identify the leach lines that carry a fluid into the brown weptic area and run a sewer line camera out that line or lines to see if the line has become blocked or collapsed or damaged.

3. Dig test openings: Last because I don't like digging a lot of holes in the yard, explore by careful digging test openings in or at the upper and lower end of a representative leach line in the brown area to confirm that it is receiving effluent.

Take care not to break septic lines when digging into them, and to preserve the gravel in which the line is usually bedded. Otherwise you may damage or clog it.

Both your brown grass expert in your green expert grass expert are right in some circumstances and wrong and others.

On 2018-05-29 18:04:20.571377 by Ken

Ive read two different things when it comes to leach field. And each contradict each other. One website or expert says if you have green on your leach field, that means its not working properly, and another says the opposite, if its brown grass its not working properly.

My leach field is actually in a field next to me, so not my lawn. And we live in a hot dry climate so you can defintly tell the brown from the green.. I mow the entire leach field area and a little bit beyond with a riding lawnmower just to keep any growth down.

The areas that are active (I have a system I can switch zones) are green, and the areas that are turned off are not.

To me, I would assume the areas that are green are working properly, as the area is getting water to it underground, and as it wicks upwards and plant roots find it the grass will grow (I use the term grass loosly, its just an old pasture field)

The field isnt wet or soggy and the ground is not soft, but not hard packed because we dont have regular foot traffic on it.. But unless it rains, you can defintly tell where the pipes are. So since this seems to be a very knowledgeable site, what is correct. Is green "grass" a good thing or a bad thing on leach field.

Septic system is coming up 20 years old, and I am very careful that we treat our system right. We arent the original owners, but have been in the house for almost 11 years now.

Regular pump outs as well, no issues with slow toilets, etc.

On 2018-04-12 by (mod) - septic pumper broke the tank cover

Pam

While I have some sympathy for the septic pumper - they could have encountered an old, disintegrating septic tank cover - still what they left is, I agree, absurd and worse, unsafe. Any kid could remove a garbage can, fall into the septic tank, and die.

Watch out: Your first concern is safety: keep people away from the area of the septic tank - fence it off if necessary.

Then take a look at the remains of the old cover: if it was in poor shape you needed a new one. The septic pumper could be dead right but a lousy communicator. In such a case, avoiding a surprise by pointing out to you the condition of the cover before proceeding would have avoided an argument.

You might get somewhere - or not - with a polite conversation with the manager or owner of the company. Ask what they saw and why you are the one who should pay for the cover.

In any event you need a new septic tank opening cover. That ought not be a significant expense. Get one in place for safety. Even if it's your expense.

On 2018-04-12 by Pam

Had our septic flushed and company left the hole open they broke the cover that was on it and put our recycle garbage can to cover hole this is absurd and they said if they come back they will charge us to cover it!!!!

On 2018-03-07 19:57:41.218997 by (mod) -

Normally that's not a problem, Roger, but in a septic tank that is

- in a freezing climage
- above the frost line
- not in active use for a sufficient time - depending on weather and local conditions -

the tank contents could freeze

On 2018-03-02 19:39:37.015643 by Roger

Can the sludge in my septic tank freeze and prevent flow?

On 2018-01-21 17:38:05.632118 by (mod) -

Mandy

Start with an inspection of the sewage level in the septic tank and D-box - those will confirm or deny that the drainfield for your septic system is flooding and thus not working.

On 2018-01-21 14:47:36.443152 by Mandy

What can we do about the smell in our home when it had rained for days? We have a septic tank.

On 2017-08-25 17:15:15.618108 by (mod) - can I just use my septic tank like a holding tank?

Juan

You ask a reasonable question. The answer is in the hands of your local building or health or plumbing department who give construction permit approvals.

In most cases communities don't permit holding tanks as a substitute for a working septic system. You are proposing a hybrid - emptying the septic tank. I've spoken with some septic pumping contractors in areas where septic systems function poorly.

The contractor's view was that it was cheaper for the homeowner to pay hundreds of dollars a month for tank pumping than to install a legal, working septic system.

I suspect that local health or plumbing officials would not be happy with that approach. In part that's because there is no control over the property owner or manager to assure that the tank is actually pumped so often that it never is contaminating the environment.

You can figure that at a typical household a completely-pumped septic tank is re-filled with wastewater in 2-4 days of normal occupancy of the home.

After the fifth day we're back to discharging effluent into an onsite disposal system that we already know is inadequate.

To me that means we're peeing into the local wells, streams, lakes.

Instead of a hybrid combination of trying to sometimes pump out the tank at a system that does not and cannot work with a conventional septic drainfield, I would ask for help from a local septic engineer. The engineer can tell you what alternative septic system designs, including an onsite packaged wastewater treatment system or a disinfection system will both work and will be accepted by local code officials.

Boieez

Thanks for the septic tank capacity question. Please hop over to SEPTIC TANK SIZE

Also see SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS at the page bottom FAWQS

where in reply to a reader question we discuss average daily wastewater flow per person design assumptions and refer to a companion article

WATER QUANTITY USAGE GUIDE

On 2017-08-25 16:46:28.256332 by Juan

If our property is too small for the required drainage of the septic system, would having a monthly scheduled emptying of the tank make a difference on what is drained into the ground?

 

 

 

On 2017-08-25 by (mod) - would monthly septic tank pumpouts let us install a system where lot size is too small for a septic drainfield?

Juan

You ask a reasonable question.

The answer is in the hands of your local building or health or plumbing department who give construction permit approvals. In most cases communities don't permit holding tanks as a substitute for a working septic system.

You are proposing a hybrid - emptying the septic tank. I've spoken with some septic pumping contractors in areas where septic systems function poorly.

The contractor's view was that it was cheaper for the homeowner to pay hundreds of dollars a month for tank pumping than to install a legal, working septic system.

I suspect that local health or plumbing officials would not be happy with that approach. In part that's because there is no control over the property owner or manager to assure that the tank is actually pumped so often that it never is contaminating the environment.

You can figure that at a typical household a completely-pumped septic tank is re-filled with wastewater in 2-4 days of normal occupancy of the home.

After the fifth day we're back to discharging effluent into an onsite disposal system that we already know is inadequate.

To me that means we're peeing into the local wells, streams, lakes.

Instead of a hybrid combination of trying to sometimes pump out the tank at a system that does not and cannot work with a conventional septic drainfield, I would ask for help from a local septic engineer.

The engineer can tell you what alternative septic system designs, including an onsite packaged wastewater treatment system or a disinfection system will both work and will be accepted by local code officials.

On 2017-08-25 by Juan

If our property is too small for the required drainage of the septic system, would having a monthly scheduled emptying of the tank make a difference on what is drained into the ground?

...

Continue reading  at SEPTIC TANK PUMPING MISTAKES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Septic Pumping Procedure & Pumper Truck Operation Articles

• SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING MISTAKES
  • SEPTIC SYSTEM BACK-PUMPING - consumer warning
  • SEPTIC TANK OBJECTIVE DATA
  • SEPTIC TANK PUMPOUT TIMING ERRORS
  • WHEN to CLEAN THE SEPTIC TANK
  • WHEN NOT TO PUMP A SEPTIC TANK
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING REASONS
• SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE
• SEPTIC TANK SAFETY

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SEPTIC TANK PUMPOUT MISTAKE FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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